A New Battle
by Chikaki
Summary: Three months after the end of the Zero Requiem, Suzaku is struggling to come to terms with everything that has happened. So when a certain Demon King reappears, what will he do?
1. Rebirth of the Demon King

**Hello everybody!**

**This is my first 'official' _Code Geass_ fic...we're not gonna get into the first one right now, since it was...yeah. And of course, today being TODAY (August 10, 2010...ring a bell?), I thought it the perfect day to start uploading this. So enjoy. :3 Also, I don;t like the title, so if you can suggest one, I beg of you to. Nunally or Lelouch will give you a peck on the cheek!  
Note that I dun own _Code Geass_. Sunrise does, the lucky bastards.**

**ALL HAIL BRITANNIA!**

* * *

"Lord Zero, will you be at the meeting this afternoon or will you send someone in your place?"

"I will be there today."

"Will you please put your signature on these forms, Lord Zero?"

"Send them to my chambers, I'll sign them and send them to you by midnight."

"Are the delegations from the Chinese Federation meeting with you tomorrow, Lord Zero, with Empress Nunally?"

"That is the plan."

"Lord Zero-"

Zero turned on his heels to look at the umpteenth person to speak to him in the last few minutes. His glare went unseen from behind the mask, but softened when he realized who it was. "Good morning, Empress."

Nunally cocked her head to one side, looking up at her closest advisor and friend. "Good morning." She gave him an amused smile before asking, "Did someone wake up on the wrong side of the bed this morning?"

"No, Empress, I'm just busier than I expected."

She nodded, aware that he was still adjusting to the role and responsibilities expected of Zero. Lelouch apparently had been impressively efficient behind the mask, and the people wanted the same level of efficiency from his successor. The pacing was almost frantic even on the best of days, so Nunally thought he was doing well.

"Will you come with me to my room, please? I want to discuss some private matters with you."

"Yes, your majesty."

Nunally allowed Zero to wheel her into her sitting room. He stood beside the table as she locked the doors with the press of several buttons, and once the room was securely sealed from intruders, she turned to him. "You can take that off now…Suzaku."

"Yes, your-" the voice coming from the mask changed as it opened with a hiss, revealing a head of brown curls, "-Majesty."

Nunally gave him a smile and rolled closer to him, looking up at him. She was struck, at first, at how regal he seemed in the Zero costume. He seemed to stand taller and straighter, his movements more fluid and graceful. Even when he put the Zero mask on the marble table-top, his arm movements were slow and languid, his gloved fingers tracing the opaque front. It was easy for her to recall the sight of Lelouch trailing his own fingers-covered in the blood pumping from the wound in his chest-down the front, staining it. When she looked closely, Suzaku's fingers hesitated over the spot.

Suzaku looked up from the mask, watching Nunally approach him. "What did you want to talk about, Nunally?"

"Suzaku, you're overworked." She said simply, taking his hand. "You need to slow down."

"I'm fine."

"No, you're not. Please don't lie to me, Suzaku…I'm tired of all the lies."

Suzaku sighed, recalling Nunally's skill at separating the truth from the lies. She held his hand firmly, her grip tightening slightly with his words. "Alright, so I'm a little overworked. Lelou-the first Zero was better at keeping up with it than I am."

"Please don't be afraid to say his name; I want to hear it." Nunally eyes seemed wet, as if the thought of her older brother would drive her to tears. "And as for Lelouch being better at this, he had more practice. Even as the Knight of Zero there wasn't as much for you to handle…you've been doing a great job."

"Thanks, but-"

"_But nothing_. You're taking the rest of the day off."

Suzaku started to chuckle, his shoulders shaking a little with the movement. "Nunally, you can't be serious."

"Oh, but I am." Nunally eyes, still wet, were bright as she let go of Suzaku's hand. "I, Nunally vi Britannia, 100th Empress, order you to take the rest of the day off and to not continue work until tomorrow!"

Suzaku's eyes widened. As her subordinate, he couldn't really defy an official order like that… Her manner was so much like that of her older brother… "But what if there's an emergency, Nunally?"

Nunally pondered that for a moment, before deciding, "If I think something is enough of an emergency, then I'll tell you. Otherwise, no working."

"But I have too much to do to take a day off. Discussions, treaties, forms, and delegations, I can't skip all of those appointments today."

"You are taking the day off and that is final." Nunally said firmly. "As your Empress, I command this of you, _Zero_."

Suzaku fought with himself for a minute, unwilling to disobey the empress or become bored and slip into memories, which would happen if he took the day off. Both were highly disturbing to him. Finally, his loyalty to her won out and he bowed stiffly. "Yes, your majesty."

The corners of Nunally's eyes creased. "Thank you, Suzaku."

Suzaku lifted the mask from the table and heard it hiss as it once more covered his head. "If that is all, Empress Nunally, I will go to my chambers to…relax…at your command."

"Good." Nunally unlocked the doors and watched him leave, the cape seemingly floating behind him. She went in the opposite direction, and if anyone had been close enough to hear, they would have heard her say, "Maybe today will be the day you free yourself from some of your guilt…" under her breath.

* * *

To open the doors to the 'Zero Chambers', as the staff called it, eleven security measures had to be passed. Suzaku had a hand in designing them and the numbers used were significant-Of the eleven features, there were seven passwords, three key locks and a hidden button on the interior door.

Eleven features for Area Eleven that had been his past, seven passwords for his number as a Knight of Rounds, three keys for his closest friend in the Rounds, Gino, and one hidden button for his defeat of Bismarck Waldstein-the Knight of One. Plus, subtract one from seven and there was six-Anya's number in the Rounds.

Everything had to be done in an exact sequence with impeccable timing. Even one second off and the doors would not open. With every key being a different shape and every password a different code, accessing the 'Zero Chambers' was quite a challenge.

But that was what Suzaku had in mind when it was built; the idea of extreme measures meant he was fairly safe from prying eyes and Zero's identity was secure. As a dead man, he couldn't have a name or a face anymore. So no one could see it, unless they knew his old name and identity, like Nunally.

He'd made the short walk from Nunally's chambers to his own, nodding his head to anyone who greeted him. One gloved hand slipped into his pocket and removed the keychain with the keys as the other began punching in the first password. Five passwords and two keys later, the outer door slid back with a hiss and he stepped past it to stand before the inner door. The idea of having two different doors appealed to him, because he saw it as even more increased security-there was even a video feed supplying him with a view of anyone who got to the inner door. He tapped on the hidden button panel with the tip of his foot, supplied the remaining passwords and turned the last key to finally open the last barrier between him and his chambers.

Suzaku dropped the mask onto a table before tossing the cape and gloves onto the couch. He wasn't sure what Nunally expected him to do all day-wasn't like he could go for a merry stroll through the gardens without the mask, and with it he'd be pestered with responsibilities-and already he could feel himself getting bored. And boredom was dangerous. He would slip into memories, and if he did that, he would become miserable and end up hooked on Refrain. That was why, though Nunally didn't know it, he was always overworking himself. If he was too tired to think about the past, maybe it would slip away like a peaceful dream.

Suzaku dropped into one of the armchairs, picking up the remote to the television on the wall. It blinked and sprung into life, midway through a worn laugh track. The sitcom failed to interest him, so he flipped through several more channels before finding Milly smiling at the audience.

Milly seemed happy. She and Nunally often spoke once a week or so on the phone, and Nunally had told him that the President and Rivalz were firmly a couple. As it turns out, watching their fellow Student Council members fight one another to the death had brought them closer together, and the relief they shared after finding the other alive after F.L.E.I.J.A. detonated over the Tokyo settlement had only helped that. Seeing Lelouch assassinated was the final straw and Rivalz asked Milly out the following day.

He watched Milly for a few minutes, smiling a little when one of the other hosts on the show pulled out an oversized, inflatable hammer and whacked the President over the head with it. Suzaku tapped his fingers on the chair's arm, wishing he could do something a little more exciting.

"Not easy to be Zero, is it, Suzaku?"

Suzaku stood and turned like a shot to look in the speaker's direction. Unfortunately he didn't have a gun or even his decorative sword on him, so if the person was a threat and had a weapon, he was screwed. The voice was coming from his desk, the chair turned away from him. He blanched when it slowly turned, revealing the speaker.

"Lelouch?"

* * *

**NIPPON BANZAI!**


	2. The Birth of a new Witch

**I'm glad to see what positive reviews I've gotten so far. The critique is fabulous, too! Anyways:**

**Kawamoyashi, Anonymous2345, Helenwalker31, REnYacodeGeass and reviwer person: Thank you! Here's the pdate you asked for. ;D**

**ShikiRima4eva-doublesided: You answered yourself and Lelouch explains it again! Lelouch is LELOUCH.**

**ReginaSlytherin: Thanks! That is a nice title, and I like it, but it doesn't quite fit perfectly. Much appreciated in anycase. **

* * *

"Nice to see you, too, Suzaku."

Suzaku slumped into his chair and stared at the figure in his desk chair. It was definitely Lelouch, looking quite comfortable with his fingers interlocked and his elbows resting on the arms, but something was off. He had been staring for a few minutes before he realized what it was: Lelouch's hair had been dyed auburn and he was wearing blue contacts. Apart from that, he looked like the same pale, lean figure he'd always been.

"How can you be alive?" Suzaku asked him in a hollow voice. The phone on his desk was ringing, but neither moved to answer it as he came to a realization. "Don't tell me you have C.C.'s – "

"I don't have C.C.'s code," Lelouch interrupted him. "She's still around."

"Then how are you alive? I felt – I felt the sword stab you."

Lelouch suddenly rose from the chair and stood in front of Suzaku, his hands unbuttoning his shirt. There wasn't a mark over his heart, not even a scar in the exact place where the sword had been driven through his chest. "Nothing," he said calmly. "There's nothing there. C.C. kept a little secret from me, as it turns out."

Suzaku believed him when Lelouch said he didn't have C.C.'s code. But whatever secret C.C. had kept from him and Lelouch had allowed the former Emperor to live. And if it wasn't her code, than there was a perfectly mundane and logical reason. Suzaku's gaze drifted to the sword laid carefully in the velvet-lined box on the coffee table behind Lelouch.

It had originally been crafted for Lelouch as Emperor, but its last function had been to stab its owner in the heart. Suzaku had found it light for its size, but then, it had been for Lelouch, who wasn't exactly in top physical condition. It had almost felt lighter on _that _day, so it was possible that C.C. had made a duplicate with a microscopic blade. She had come to him afterwards to clean the blood – had she switched it before hand with a copy and returned the original to him, none the wise?

It made sense to him. Lelouch had been a fan of ridiculously over-the-top, outlandish schemes to trick those around him, and since C.C. had seen him plot so many, it might have rubbed off on her.

Suzaku relaxed a little, reaching around Lelouch to toss his cape in the other's direction. "You can cover up now. If you've been alive this whole time, where were you?"

Lelouch pulled the cape off his face, and let it fall back to the couch as he re-buttoned his shirt. "C.C. and I were travelling the French countryside."

"Why?"

"Change of scene," Lelouch shrugged. "It was quiet."

"If it was so nice, why are you here?" Suzaku asked him.

"I think you know the answer to that, Suzaku."

"You're here because of Nunally."

Lelouch nodded and leaned back on the couch. "When I was lying on the float, Nunally told me that she would've been happy with just you and me." He didn't elaborate further; nor did he need to. Suzaku knew how devoted he had been to Nunally and that everything had ultimately been for her. His goal was her happiness, no matter the cost to himself.

"How is she?" Lelouch asked, looking over at Suzaku.

"Better than she was," Suzaku replied bitterly. Milly was still laughing on television, so he muted it and watched her smile. "The day after _it_ happened, she spoke with Zero privately…and she knew _everything_, Lelouch. She knew you gave me the Zero mask, that you wanted me to kill you, and that you did it all for her.

"She was yelling at me until she was crying too hard to continue. She couldn't even grieve for you in public, since you were the Demon King. She wants the world to recover, and showing sympathy for the world's enemy wasn't going to help." Suzaku kept his gaze trained on Milly. "She cried on my shoulder every night until she fell asleep for more than a week."

Behind him, Lelouch was looking at the floor, his fists clenched tightly. "I didn't want her to know. She was supposed to hate me, like everyone else."

Suzaku turned back to him. "Then let her know you're here."

Lelouch stared at Suzaku with wide eyes. "I can't."

"Why not? Because you want her to keep thinking that you're dead? Or is it because…" Suzaku stood in front of Lelouch and looked down at him with a hard expression. "…Os is it because you're afraid of what she'll say?"

"Both."

Breakthrough.

He studied Lelouch for a minute, noting that his eyes were sincere. Lelouch was a good actor, but all of that fell to the side when it came to Nunally. He really was terrified about her reaction, and was willing to let her continue mourning him to avoid upsetting her further. She was the only one who wasn't afraid to cry over his body when he seemed to have died. While everyone around her cheered for Zero, she was wailing-and that was the only sound Suzaku remembered from that day.

"_Wake up, Lelouch! Wake up! BROTHER, WAKE UP! PLEASE WAKE UP!"_

The idea that Lelouch would let her keep thinking he was dead, after Suzaku heard her screech like that was enraging.

Suzaku rose to his full height and slapped Lelouch as hard as he could.

His hand was still held high above Lelouch's head as Suzaku glared at him. Lelouch's eyes were wide and he slowly raised a hand to the red mark on his cheek.

"I'm not letting you lie to Nunally anymore." Suzaku told him, his voice monotone with rage. "You've hurt her enough." Every time Lelouch was mentioned he saw the pain in her eyes, every jeering comment about the Demon King a stab in her heart. And she had to wear it all with a smile. Only he, who could watch her from behind the mask, could see the slight frown and how her smile became just a little fixed. He could not and would not see that again, all the while knowing that he was allowing her to think Lelouch was still dead. "You are going to see her. Tonight."

"But-"

"Tonight."

Lelouch looked away, his eyes downcast. It was clear that he wanted to see her but expected Nunally to be livid. Suzaku was sure that both siblings would benefit from seeing each other. "…Alright. I'll see her."

* * *

"Lelouch…" Suzaku asked, looking up from the chessboard, "…How'd you get in here, anyways?"

Lelouch chuckled, moving one of his knights across the board. "It was easy. Your maid wasn't here when I was Emperor, so I never cast geass on her. I just told her not to notice me whenever she heard me snap my fingers twice in a row. So when you allowed her to enter to clean, I went in with her."

"I'd like to see you try and pull off a scheme without geass, just once," Suzaku muttered. He moved a pawn as Lelouch smirked.

_Why_ he agreed to play chess with Lelouch was a mystery, because he was loosing badly.

"Checkmate."

Suzaku sighed and knocked his white king over with his finger. "That's seven to zero."

Lelouch used his fork to swirl the water in his glass. Beside them, the remains of their lunch sat ignored. Suzaku had been complaining that the water tasted almost salty, but Lelouch told him that he was just an idiot. The phone rang before Lelouch could remark on Suzaku's lack of skill in chess.

Suzaku picked up the receiver. "Yes? …No, I'm not going to be able to met with Scneizel today. The Empress had ordered the day off. Tell him I will meet with him tomorrow."

"Schneizel still around?"

"Yeah. He obeys every order Zero gives him, though…Would that be your doing?" Suzaku asked with a steely eye before yawning.

"Perhaps. At least now Nunally's safe from him," Lelouch's voice was indifferent as he began to set the chess pieces back in their places to play again. Suzaku rolled his eyes and sat down again, yawning as he moved a piece.

"Everything's always for Nunally, right?"

"Yup."

"Even if it ruins someone else's life?"

"So long as Nunally is happy."

Suzaku looked up at Lelouch, stunned by his cold attitude, only to notice that Lelouch was watching him closely. He opened his mouth to question him, but all that came out was a gurgle. He was drowsy and fell sideways onto the couch, his breathing slow but deep.

Lelouch had been keeping an eye on Suzaku for the past hour, when he'd slipped a sedative into the glass Suzaku had been drinking from. He leaned across the board and checked to see how deep his slumber was.

With a satisfied smile, Lelouch adjusted Suzaku's sleeping form to lie still on the couch. From the five hundredmilligrams he had added to the water, he estimated that Suzaku would wake up in about three, maybe four hours, probably feeling refreshed. Until he realized he'd been drugged-then he would be up and chasing Lelouch.

"Mind if I borrow some of your clothes, Suzaku?" He asked the sleeping boy, finding the Zero costume carefully laid out in Suzaku's closet. Once they had relaxed, Suzaku had placed it there, since, as he told Lelouch, he wouldn't it for the rest of day.

With quick, familiar movements he fixed the cape and tightened his fists inside the gloves, feeling the material tighten over his knuckles. The final touch was the helmet. He gave it a nostalgic smile before putting it on, reliving some of his finer schemes. As it sealed with a hiss, he felt a subtle shift in his mind as Lelouch slipped away to something colder and impersonal. As he looked around at Suzaku's sitting room, it was almost infinitely easier to calculate the odds of everything; from the chance that Suzaku would wake earlier than expected, to the chance that he would be unmasked and revealed before he completed this plan. It was so simple.

He practiced a few gestures briefly, the large, extravagant movements returning easily. He was the nameless idol with no identity or face, and there was a cool, seductive pleasure in that. Once more, he was Zero.

* * *

The faces in the halls of the palace looked upon him with reverence. It was not the dulled, glassy looks under geass, when his servants were controlled slaves; nor was it a false respect with hidden disgust. The servants and officials truly respected Zero as an idol, a living legend who had freed them from the Demon King…but they could never know that the Demon King was the first Zero and had planned not only his death, but the resurrection of Zero as his killer. It could never be known.

He could admit that Suzaku was wider in the shoulders, so the suit was just slightly loose, but with his shoulders back and as he stood tall, it was hardly noticeable to his admirers. The feeling of his cape floating behind him was pleasing and filled him with extra confidence. He didn't worry about failing, for he was Zero and he could adjust his plans as necessary. He smiled under the mask, stopping before the office of the Empress and rapped on the door.

Nunally's assistant, a young woman with curly chestnut hair in a braid over her shoulder, opened the door and curtsied before Zero. "Good afternoon, my Lord."

"I want to discuss the security measures for tomorrow's meeting with the Chinese Federation with Her Majesty. In private."

Of course, my Lord. Please come in." The assistant allowed Zero to enter before leaving, the door closing with a soft _click_.

"I thought we had finished going over my security for tomorrow, Suzaku?" Nunally asked, setting aside the paperwork on her desk. "Why do you want to go over it again?"

"Your majesty, I didn't come to discuss security. I came to discuss another subject." Nunally's brow creased as she silently questioned Zero. "I want to discuss the previous Emperor."

"About Lelouch?" Nunally queried, allowing her voice to tremble a little. "Why do you mention him so formally?"

"Empress, what is your opinion of his assassination?"

Nunally didn't reply at first, but after a moment she spoke, her voice controlled but still shaking a little with grief. "You never should have agreed to it. No matter what Lelouch said or did, he was still my brother…and I miss him."

So Suzaku hadn't lied, afterall. He had expected that, but now it was confirmed. Nunally was supposed to hate him, so that she could ensure the world remained happy. He hadn't wanted her to miss him. "But you aren't Suzaku, are you, Zero?"

She was as clever as he had always known her to be. "You are correct Empress. I am not Suzaku." Nunally frowned again, slowly reaching for her top drawer, where she kept a small gun for safety purposes. As she did so, Zero bowed his head slightly and raised a hand to his mask as it opened with a hiss. "I am the first Zero."

Nunally had frozen in her chair. She hadn't even noticed his changed appearance, lost instead in the memory of what she had thought were Lelouch's last moments – feeling his blood trickle down over her fingers, his eyes closing as she screamed for him to wake up. "B-brother…"

She backed her wheelchair away from the desk and rolled closer to him, looking the whole time at him. This wasn't the false Lelouch that had been her first sight in years-the sneering, cold and hateful façade was gone. His smile shone with warmth and his eyes were full of love. It was much better than imagining him during their years at Ashford and a _lot_ better than the cold mask he had worn only months ago. "Lelouch!"

He kneeled in front of her, the Zero mask dropping from his hand and rolling a little on the floor. But neither noticed as the siblings hugged tightly. "Hello, Nunally," he replied with a whisper.

"I missed you so much," she sniffed, crying now that she felt his familiar arms holding her. They were safe and secure, just like they always had been. "Why did you leave and trick everyone? Why did you trick me, Brother?"

"To make your wish come true," Lelouch answered softly. But that only made Nunally cry harder.

"But I have a new wish because of it…" she said, freeing her brother from the tight squeeze, "…I want you to stay with me and Suzaku. I want all three of us to be together forever."

"Is that really your wish, Nunally?" She nodded and Lelouch continued. "Then wil you give me my wish in return?"

"What is it?"

"Come on now, you know what it is. Will we make a pact to grant each other's wishes?"

"Yes! Don't leave me, big Brother!" Nunally cried.

"I won't." With a smile, Lelouch leaned down and kissed Nunally's cheek.

_A soaring feeling overtook the young Empress, visions of great colourful scenes disguising her office. Lelouch and Suzaku and a green-haired woman stood loosely, Lelouch looked worn as Suzaku glared at him, a sword in his hand. Both Lelouch and the woman radiated a strange energy, but Lelouch's was so weak, almost not there, whereas the woman was dominated by it. The tableau blurred, replaced by a man and a woman Nunally recognized as her parents, both looking down at their elder son, her brother. Father looked so angry and Mother regretful, a giant revolving mishmash of figures on a pillar behind them pointed at what looked like a planet…_

_It changed again, to Lelouch and the woman, but the energy radiating from him was a great as the woman. She saw the woman's lips move, and whatever was said seemed to shock her brother. His repeated what she had said, but this time she caught the single word… "…Immortal…?"_

_The colours exploded everywhere, and when the reformed it was another scene. This time Nunally could see a great red cloud of an aura swirling about Lelouch, standing as he was a moment before in her office; she stood in front of him but looked at both herself and her brother as an outside party, but when Lelouch agreed to stay with her and leaned in to kiss her, she saw the red energy grow angry and be sucked into him, a line moving from his body through his lips and into her cheek. As she watched the red line move from her cheek and into her eye she felt a pinpricking sensation in her left eye and realized what it all meant._

The colours disappeared into a pinprick of light as Nunally slumped, panting after the visions. She resisted the urge to knead her eye, and was almost still until she looked up from her lap.

"Lelouch…you…you gave me…"

Lelouch had withdrawn to the couch, waiting for her to recover. There was a strange look on his face, one she couldn't quite identify. "Yes, Nunally, I gave you geass."

"Why." It was not so much a question but a demand. Her happiness at seeing Lelouch back from the dead was gone, replaced by a bitter fury at being given this unholy curse…by him, no less.

"To grant your wish; I will grant your wish and you will grant mine…it is our contract."

Nunally shook her head, as if to dislodge the power. "But how is geass going to grant my wish? And how can you even give geass? I thought Suzaku said that only a witch like Miss C.C. could give them."

"You'll find out soon enough." Lelouch assured her. "Any other questions?"

"What is this the power you gave me?" She asked, her voice and her hands trembling with fear. "Absolute obedience like you?"

Lelouch shook his head. "That, Nunally, changes from person to person depending on their heart's wish. Until you tell anyone what it is, you're the only one who will know your geass."

There was a sense of what she knew it was, but Nunally was repressing it with all her strength and only had the very vaguest idea of what it might possibly be. "So either you won't tell me or you can't tell me?"

"Yes."


	3. The discovery of Power

Nunally stared fixedly at the council members around the table. Former nobility, they'd lost their titles under Lelouch, and Nunally hadn't returned any titles yet, so they had gone into politics and business to reassert themselves as higher class. They had been accustomed to power and wanted it back. For the most part they were still corrupt, but remembered that both Nunally and the people of their respective states could remove them from power, tempering their obsession with themselves. Nunally disliked each and every one of them, especially since they still believed themselves superior to the people they represented.

"I refuse to accept the proposed agreement!" The former Duke Harlowe declared, banging a meaty fist on the table. "The Black Knights agreed to lease the island of Penglai for ninety-nine years and it has barely been one!"

"But technically, not even I can agree to return or keep it, Harlowe," Nunally pointed out. "Afterall, it was not the previous Britannian government – or even the government under the 98th Emperor – that agreed to the lease. It was the Black Knights. The council is only meeting to decide on how we want to voice our _collective_ opinion to Zero and the Black Knights. That is, what's best for all of Britannia."

In all honesty Nunally found the meeting completely unnecessary. The Britannian government had no reason to offer the Black Knights their advice on the return of Penglai. If they chose to tell Empress Tianzi that the lease would remain until the ninety-nine years ended, or if they agreed to return control of the island, it wouldn't affect Britannia either way. There was no benefit to either side. But the upper class had been furious when the Empress of the Chinese Federation asked Zero for the island's return, and so, Nunally was attempting to please them. The meeting would have been better used to decide how to further proceed on returning all Areas to their original ethnicities and becoming their own nationalities again.

"When you and Empress Tianzi signed the agreement, Lord Zero," The former Earl of the Santa Cruz was speaking now, "What were the exact terms of the agreement? Did the Empress mention any possibility or reason the Federation would have for the early return of the island?"

The man wearing the mask of Zero had been silent since the beginning of the meeting, even his disguised head barely moving to follow the various sides of the argument. Nunally looked over at him, warning him with a barely perceptible look that saying the wrong thing would mean their deaths. Not even the Imperial title or being the killer of the Demon Emperor would be able to save them if they were discovered. There was too much anger and fury to save them from the people if the man was discovered in the room.

Zero turned his head towards the former Earl and seemed to pause for a split second before answering. "Tianzi and I agreed that Penglai would be under the control of the Black Knights for ninety-nine years for the refugees of Area 11. If the refugees left before the ninety-nine years was up, or if Area 11 was returned to the Japanese, the lease would end prematurely. Since all the refugees have left, _and_ Area 11 is being returned to Japan, the agreements are fulfilled. Tianzi has the right to ask for the return of control."

"But you can remind the Empress that you paid for ninety-nine years, not one!" Harlowe bellowed. "The price is astronomical for that amount of time."

"Wrong, Harlowe," Zero replied. "As per the agreement, payments for the island were given to the Chinese Federation every six months. So for the time Penglai was used, approximately one year, was paid for and no more."

"You never mentioned that before." Nunally said, raising an eyebrow.

"It was never important. Tianzi and I agreed on the terms and the Chinese Federation completed their promises. No refugees are on the island, Area 11 is Japan, therefore, the island of Penglai returns to the Federation." Zero stood up from his seat on Nunally's right. "I will meet with you later this evening, Empress. I need to have a contract signed right now."

Nunally frowned but remained silent as she watched Zero leave. Something about Lelouch's answers had been off, though the language was perfect. He had made it clear that, regardless of what the council decided on, the island was returning to the Chinese Federation. But that wasn't what was wrong, either. It didn't matter to her what happened to the island. No, what bothered her was the way Lelouch had referred to the Empress and his intimate knowledge of the Penglai treaty. While it was accepted that the one who killed the Demon Emperor was not the original Zero, and that the first Zero was dead, Lelouch had sounded too familiar with Empress Tianzi. When Suzaku wore the mask, he always referred to the Empress by her title, since he barely knew her. Lelouch had conversed with the young Empress enough to refer to her by her name – and many people had heard him say so.

The men sitting there looked surprised at Zero's words. Finally Nunally cleared her throat and said, "Well...shall we put it to a vote?"

Lelouch had been luck to leave when he did, since Nunally's proposal to vote was vehemently shot down by Harlowe and his supporters. The man was a horrible bully, and the vast majority of not all of his supporters had been bribed and blackmailed into following him. With the vote refused, Nunally had to endure yet more of Harlowe's furious demands. She wished the man was more pleasant, because it meant that the meeting would be over, more things would be accomplished throughout the Empire and the people of Britannia would become happier.

A little voice in the back of her head told her to just Geass him and thereby speed up the discussions. As tempting an idea as it was, Nunally was too frightened to use her new power. She didn't want to completely change anybody with her Geass as Lelouch had. She had seen people change without knowing why at the time, but now she knew that they had been forced to by her brother's will. She didn't want to be a tyrant, controlling the masses by preternatural means.

"Empress Nunally, I _demand_ that you speak to Zero and tell him that we will forcibly keep him out of all future decisions and meetings unless he tells Empress Tianzi that he will _not_ return Penglai to Federation rule until the full ninety-nine years have passed!" Harlowe bellowed.

Nunally gave the former Duke a hard look. "You do not have the authority to make that demand. And if you continue to speak to your Empress like that, I can assure you, Harlowe, that you will _not_ be reelected next term." Harlowe looked like he about to snap at her, but Nunally added another term before he could. "And your household's financial statements, _all of them,_ will be very closely audited for any outstanding sums to the government, do I make myself clear?"

Harlowe's eyes narrowed, and Nunally couldn't help but feel a little smug as she looked at the blanched looks all the other members of council wore, not to mention Harlowe's look of utter rage. Nunally had been going over statements made during her father's reign and discovered more than a few outstanding balances owed by almost every noble family in the Empire. Apparantly their utter loyalty and generations of kissing up to the Imperial family had meant that very few, if not none, had paid taxes on their wealth for quite a while. If she decided that the balances had to be paid immediately, the families would be bankrupt.

"You know, your Majesty," Harlowe said, running his tongue over his teeth, "You may not be so unlike your older brother as you would like us to think. After all, he was quite fond of threats and playing dirty, just like you. Are you going to be following his plans for the future of the Empire?"

Nunally's eyes widened at his words, the seemingly innocent language a front for a subtle, but devastating insult. Everyone present-and everyone across the globe-knew Lelouch's name and the venomous hatred held for him. Harlowe's insinuations that she, like Lelouch, would take over the world for her own greedy desire was enough to make her want to crawl across the table and grab him by the neck. "Harlowe, that was unnecessary," she said, her voice low.

Nunally felt a pricking sensation in her eye, so rapid that it was barely there a second. No one saw the almost demonic red glow in her left eye, no one else saw Harlowe's shoulders tense as he fought the mental command he had been given, no one else noticed the thin red rings around his pupils. But Nunally saw these things and realized what she had done.

Harlowe seemed to relax in his chair as a look of repentance appeared on his features. "Forgive me, Empress. That wasn't fair of me to say. Nor was it true." The normally cruel man gave her a smile that was warm and hearty before bowing his head. "I will completely understand if you want my resignation."

Nunally felt the eyes of the surprised council members watching to see how she would react. She paused for a second before saying "Your forgiveness is accepted, Harlow. You don't have to resign, but don't mention things out of my control again."

"Thank you, your Majesty," Harlowe replied. "Now, if we return to the issue at hand, I'm going to change my stance. Since Wisconsin won't be affected one way or the other, I choose to support Empress Nunally. Whatever she decides to tell Zero is fine."

Elanna, Nunally's assistant, leaned in to her mistress' ear and whispered. "What on earth made him change his mind?"

Nunally didn't give her trusted assistant an answer.

* * *

Lelouch felt a tiny, almost insignificant spark in his code as his sole contract used Geass for the first time. He smiled behind the mask, aware that she had snapped and used it on one of the council members, likely the detestful Harlowe. That was why he had pushed for them to go to the meeting instead of postponing it as Nunally had wanted to. Considering the mannerisms of the former nobles, he had been sure that they would drive her to use it – even if she had never planned to. The nobles seemed to think that, being out of court and out of power for seven years, Nunally would be easily manipulated. He knew that they couldn't be more inaccurate in that train of thought.

Now that she had used it once, and found that Geass wasn't as bad as it seemed, Nunally would be more likely to use it again. Lelouch smirked under the mask as he turned a corner and found the person he had been looking for. "Anna," he said, pulling off his glove as she turned to face him, "Please go clean my quarters."

"Yes, my Lord." She gave a small bow of her head and turned away as he snapped his fingers twice.

The maid stiffened and didn't notice Lelouch walking in front of her, merely moving down the hall with her cart towards the Zero Chambers. The Geass he had placed on her was still working perfectly. At the door the maid pulled out a keyring and inserted them one by one, before standing still. Lelouch felt an object in his pocket buzz and pulled out a flashing pager. So that was how Suzaku had enabled his room to be cleaned without having to worry about concealing his identity. Lelouch pressed the green button, and watched as the door opened with a hiss.

Now that the door was opened, Lelouch snapped his fingers twice again to wake the maid before she saw Suzaku. "Anna, you can return to your work now," he informed her, watching her shake her head to clear the fuzziness. The red glow disappeared and she blinked.

"Oh-oh! Lord Zero! Forgive me, I'm not sure what I'm doing here, I was doing the laundry and-"

Lelouch raised a hand, silencing her flustered explanations. "It's fine. Just go back to your work."

"Yes, my Lord."

She bowed and left, leaving him alone. Lelouch let the door close behind him before pulling off the mask and cloth covering his mouth. He checked on Suzaku, who was still asleep. His breath was becoming shallower, though, and he was becoming more restless. The GHB in his body was being broken down, so it wasn't long before he woke up. About half an hour, Lelouch estimated, until the sleeping man was fully conscious. It was plenty of time.

Lelouch didn't want Suzaku to know yet that he had already seen Nunally, nor did he want the brunette to know that he had given her Geass. Because he had gone to her dressed as Zero (And had drugged Suzaku to get the costume), he didn't want Suzaku to know that either. He would tell him eventually, but not yet.

It had been nice to wear the mask again. The faceless hero always kept him away from Lelouch's troubles and stress, if only for a little while. The few people who had known about his time as Zero, apart from Nunally and Suzaku, thought he was dead. No one knew who the current Zero was, and his name was again shrouded in mystery, giving the mask wearer a kind of absolute freedom that was otherwise impossible to find.

Zero's costume was placed back in Suzaku's closet and Lelouch was comfortably sitting in his chair in front of the chessboard. It would be impossible to tell that he had even moved, let alone gone to visit his sister as Zero, apart from the smirk he now wore. It was a smirk he only wore when nearing the successful completion of a scheme. And he hadn't schemed in a while.

Suzaku rolled a little in his sleep. He just had to come a little closer to consciousness, and then the final step in his plan would be complete. If he was still unconscious when Lelouch went into action, Suzaku would think it a dream. Too awake and Suzaku would refuse. And he needed the right answer to make Nunally's wish come true. Luckily Lelouch had all the time in the world to wait.

He toyed with the white king on the board for a minute. Zero had been the revered outlaw, the masked man working miracles out of seemingly hopeless situations. The rebel who had confounded the oppressive Empire time and time again, eventually freeing Area 11 with his death. Emperor Lelouch had been the oppressor, the Demon King who raised fear and loathing. His name had been, and still was, cursed in the streets, while his disguise was adored. The contrast between the two masks was almost startling.

With Suzaku taking the mask of Zero, Lelouch had lost one mask. The original Zero, him, was declared dead. And Emperor Lelouch had been fatally stabbed before the entire world, stealing that mask from him as well. He had no face; no name with which to use publicly. Now he was a true immortal wanderer, barred from having a name or identity.

"_Lelouch, do you know why snow is white? ...Because it's forgotten what colour it once was._"

_Yes, C.C, I understand now._

* * *

The council's decision on how to advise the Black Knights finally ended with a vote. Spurred on by Harlowe's change of opinion, the majority voted to advise the return of Penglai to the Chinese Federation. Nunally sighed as she rolled out of the meeting, her assistant Elanna walking beside her chair with a PDA in her hands.

"What's the schedule for this afternoon, Elanna?" Nunally asked. The brunette woman opened a file on her PDA and began reciting.

"At two o'clock you have public court. That will continue until four thirty, at which point you announce that public court will end until the next session Thursday. From four thirty-five to five o'clock, Lord Zero will be discussing the public court session in your chambers. Five to five fifty-five you will be preparing for this evening's dinner with the Canadian States diplomats, which will be beginning at six. Six until seven-thirty will be the meal portion, followed by..."

Nunally listened patiently as Elanna rattled off her schedule. She would be busy right up until eleven o'clock when the diplomats left. She was supposed to be meeting with them tomorrow to discuss boundaries between two of the states. It was, in other words, not going to be easy since both parties on opposing sides of the boundary line were claiming more land. Settling the dispute wouldn't be easy...unless, perhaps...she used her Geass to speed up negotiations.

Even though using it on Harlowe had been an accident (And a lucky one at that), she was still afraid of Geass. Lelouch and Suzaku had been twisted and corrupted by its power, becoming hard and cold-hearted. The demonic power had spurred them to kill and cause destructionon Lelouch's whim, and so many people had died from his use. Even if hers had made Harlowe kind and gentle, it was her greatest fear that it would twist her mind and destroy her.

Even so, to speed up the negotiations was awfully tempting...

"...Your Majesty?" Elana's voice brought her out of her thoughts. Nunally looked up at the woman, who had been speaking blindly to her. "Your Majesty, would you like me to bring your lunch to your chambers before public court?"

"Oh, yes. Thank you."

Nunally watched her assistant leave and made her way to her chambers. Before Elanna returned with her lunch, there was something she wanted to try. Lelouch, who had always learning as much information as he could, would likely have approved her plan. But she wouldn't tell him. Nor would she tell him that she had used her Geass. But she needed to know what it could do before she used it again.

She locked the doors behind her, securing her parlour from any surprise visitors. Elanna, once she arrived, would be able to enter, but Nunally would have warning and would be secluded until then.

Nunally looked at her reflection in the vanity, studying her pale violet eyes. They were a lighter shade than Lelouch's, perhaps, but were still the same violet as the rest of her extended family. She had the same weary look in her eyes as her brother. Having carefully absorbed every detail of the colour and appearance, she activated the accursed Geass, watching as the colour in her left eye grew redder, until it was an evil crimson. The sigil, reminiscent of a bird, glittered over her pupil. Her vision seemed...tainted, somehow, as if a clear red lens had been dropped in front of her face, and she could see a red halo around her body. But even looking directly into her eyes, she felt no different. Harlowe had been affected as soon as their eyes met, but Nunally was not.

Interesting.

Elanna knocked softly on the door, announcing her prescence. "Your Majesty, I have your lunch," she called. Nunally backed her chair up to unlock the door, remembering as she looked back at the vanity to deactivate her Geass. She didn't want to use it on anyone else yet.

* * *

**Wow. I'm pretty impressed that I'm still having people susbcribe and favourite this story, even though I haven't updated since, like, September or August. To everyone who's been reading it and waiting since them, I'm so sorry, university's a lot busier than I expected. Nevertheless, I'm really going to try to update more frequently. Even once a month would be better, right?**

**Okay. On to the chapter.**

**First off, although I detail how Nunally's Geass affected someone in this chapter, I'm not entirely sure that's how I want it to affect EVERYBODY. There are several things I'm considering, and I think I know what idea I'll pick, but I'm curious to hear what everybody thinks her Geass should be. **

**Secondly, the drug used by Lelouch to drug Suzaku is a substance naturally occuring in the body called GHB. It's illegal in most countries, so no, I won't tell anyone how to make it (Mostly because I don't know myself), and partly because it's an illegal substance. You could get in big trouble. **

**Third, the basic agreement they're discussing is about Penglai. I based the terms they mention on two things: the British occupation of Hong Kong and the lease between Newfoundland and the USA for a military base. I can't really remember the details right now, so I'll leave that at that. Rather than make a complete mockery of history that I haven't studied in, like, three of four years. **

**Finally, the reason for such a ridiculous meeting is partially a criticism of democracy on my part. Now I've always lived in a democratic country (Also known as Canada), but I admit that the system is far from perfect. Like everything else (Minus true communism, which can't really exist), democracy is flawed. As an Imperial superpower for such a long time I can easily imagine the nobles of Britannia throwing a hissy fit, hence their outrage over Penglai. I think that Britannia, under Nunally, would become almost _too_ democratic, if that makes sense.  
**

**That's all I can think of right now. :/  
**


	4. Awakening the Demon

Suzaku was walking down the path of the Kururugi Shrine. Sunlight streamed through the trees, casting mottled shadows on the path. The cicadas hiding on the trunks and in the branches were screeching. The bricks in the path were freshly swept and free of weeds and dirt. There was no evidence of the invasion here – He could plainly remember that some of the wooden walls and bricks had been damaged and replaced later, and were a slightly different colour than the original fixtures. Throngs of people, both Britannians and Japanese, lined the path, watching their hero with awe. As he passed they bowed and murmured their respects for Zero.

But that couldn't be right; he could see his mother standing at the head of the path. Seiryuuko had died when Suzaku was eight, but there she was, her hands were clasped, and she looked at him, smiling gently. She raised her hands, waiting for him to come closer. Even though he wore the Zero mask, she recognized him and whispered "My son," though he could hear her plainly. Her skin was pale, as it had been in life, and her long, dark hair blew backwards in a gentle breeze felt only by his mother.

But as Suzaku walked slowly down the path, a little boy, no more than ten years old, burst through the crowd and stood in the middle of the path. His face was down and covered by black hair, but he raised his hand to point directly at Suzaku. "Him! _He's the one that killed me!_"

Like a veil had passed over the crowd, silence descended. Even the hidden cicadas had stopped screeching. Suzaku stiffened, halting in his path as the boy lifted his head. At the age of ten, Lelouch's eyes were large and livid. The boy proclaimed again that Suzaku had killed him, and as he repeated it, a red stain blossomed on his chest, growing larger. Behind Lelouch, Seiryuuko's smile faded and her arms lowered. People mobbed Suzaku, holding tightly to his limbs and body to bind him tightly. As he struggled in their grasp, Suzaku could feel his body shrinking and becoming smaller. Across from him, Lelouch was, almost impossibly slowly, growing taller and older. The evil grin on the brunette's face, however, never changed.

"_He killed me, too!_" a female voice cried, and the crowds parted to reveal Euphemia, her face still bloodstained from the people she had massacred. "You let him use Geass on me and then let him kill me! It's all your fault!" Euphie lifted her skirts and rushed to stand behind Lelouch, kneeling to place her hands on his shoulders. "How many more have you killed, Suzaku?" she asked him, looking angry. "How many people have you killed?"

A member of the crowd holding him tightly ripped the mask off his face and the crowd roared. It was fairly obvious that his presence was not appreciated, judging by the arms gripping him becoming tighter. Lelouch continued to grow taller, appearing to be in his early teens if Suzaku had to guess. He felt barely a year or two older than Lelouch looked. Euphie stood tall now, her hands still protectively placed on her brother's shoulders as the pair glared at him with the same violet eyes.

"Euphie! Euphie, I –" Suzaku started to say, before an arm tightened on his throat, silencing him.

Seiryuuko drifted past the siblings, holding her son's face in her hands before sighing. "My son, why have you done so much evil? Why did you kill so many people?" she asked. She seemed to float backwards, and when she passed Lelouch and Euphemia, she faded away and disappeared into a shadow that blocked the sun. Kururugi Genbu looked down at his son, his face partially hidden by the sunlight behind him.

"This boy killed me, too," he rumbled, stepping back to join Euphie and Lelouch. Genbu placed a hand on Lelouch's shoulders, so now he and Euphie were flanking the now fully-aged brunette. The trio looked down on the ten-year-old Suzaku. The Zero costume was much too big on him as he flailed in the crowd's grasp. Suddenly the clothes disappeared from his body, only to be instantly replaced by the pink shirt and shorts he favoured at ten. And it was just as sudden that Lelouch's clothes morphed into the Zero costume, minus the mask. His left eye was glowing with the Geass symbol.

Euphie cleared her throat and the crowd's angered yells were silenced. "Who else has the boy killed?" she asked.

From the Shrine's woods came a fine mist, multicoloured and ever changing. It grew thicker as it poured from their surroundings, congealing behind Genbu, Euphie and Lelouch. It solidified into a massive crowd, to which Suzaku could see no end. Thirty million people, all glaring at the young Suzaku, made the same declaration at one: "_He used that bomb to kill us!_"

He screamed.

His eyes wide and staring, Suzaku sank in the arms of the people holding him. Seeing the dead made him realize, truly, just how many people had died because of his actions. The crowd standing behind his loved ones was massive, and even standing close together seemed endless. The arms binding him loosened and disappeared as he fell to his knees. For an awful moment the entire shrine was deathly quiet. Then he heard the measured footsteps and looked up to see Lelouch looking down on him.

"I-I didn't mean to hurt people," he said, his voice shaking. He gripped the side sides his head and squeezed his eyes shut, hoping to block out everything and make it go away. "I wanted to help them! Dad – Euphie – you –"

Lelouch kneeled to look Suzaku in the eye, and as he did, the Zero costume melted into the Ashford uniform. The glowing Geass was gone from his eye with the angry smirk. Instead, Lelouch look almost sympathetic to the overwhelmed ten-year-old. There were tears streaming down Suzaku's cheeks, leaving dirty tear stains. He hiccoughed.

"I know you didn't mean to hurt anyone," Lelouch ruffled the top of Suzaku's head. "What if I told you that there's someone alive who still needs you?"

Suzaku looked up at Lelouch, sniffling. He wiped his running nose with the back of his hands. "Who needs me? Everyone I love always dies."

"I'm not dead anymore, am I?" Lelouch said. "But Nunally loves you, and she needs you. I need you."

"Really?" Suzaku said, almost whimpering.

Lelouch nodded. "Do you want to help Nunally?"

"Y-Yeah." Suzaku said. "I want to help her."

"Will you make a contract with me, then? If you help Nunally, I will grant your wish. Is it a deal, Suzaku?"

Suzaku mumbled a response under his breath. "I couldn't hear what you said," Lelouch told him.

"It's a deal!" Suzaku cried. As soon as he said it, he felt himself shooting up, fully grown again. "I agree!"

* * *

Lelouch studied Suzaku in sleep, carefully watching for the moment when he was semi-conscious. When that moment came, Suzaku's mind would be more open to manipulation and would be easier to control. Lelouch's command for Suzaku to live was still active, so he wasn't planning to Geass him. No, he was going to use one of his new Code abilities.

He could vividly recall C.C. forcing Suzaku into a nightmare in Narita, but she had admitted herself that she didn't know what he was seeing, apart from it being absolutely devastating. But when Lelouch had touched her, he had entered into her mind and seen images of her past. It had stuck with him, and now, he wanted to do something similar. If he could force his conscious into Suzaku's subconscious, he would be able to manipulate with ease what Suzaku saw in his dreams and coerce him into what he wanted. The command to 'Live' was still active, so Geassing Suzaku wasn't an option. Because of that, and the fact that Suzaku would never agree to the offer Lelouch wanted to make when he was awake, meant that tricking him into agreeing was the only way to accomplish it. For Nunally's wish to come true, he _needed_ Suzaku to agree.

Lelouch had practiced the technique while travelling through France with C.C. with mixed results. He had learned that, to truly get what he wanted, the person had to be at the right level of sleep – Too deeply asleep and the person thought it was a mere nightmare, too close to being awake and they woke up – but he had figured out the correct level and afterwards had been able to influence the person perfectly. When it worked.

But if he managed to make it work on Suzaku, Nunally would be closer to happiness.

It helped that Lelouch knew Suzaku well. He knew the brunette's fears and desires, his personality – and most importantly, what overwhelmed him. So long as he directed Suzaku's subconscious correctly, Suzaku's mind would be like putty in his hands.

The critical moment had finally come. Lelouch kneeled on the carpet besides Suzaku and rested his hand on the sleeping brunette's bare forearm. Taking a deep breath, he allowed the power of his Code to flow freely. The Geass symbol on his body felt warm, and had he been able to see it, he was sure it was glowing. Lelouch felt like he was being pushed forwards as his mind was linked to Suzaku's subconscious, and though he felt almost nauseous as he connected, the feeling passed quickly. It was odd, really, to feel both the sensations of his own body and to feel the same things Suzaku felt, like the couch underneath the brunette and the warmth of Lelouch's hand on his forearm. Nevertheless, Lelouch pushed the thoughts aside and concentrated on the Kururugi Shrine. It took shape in Suzaku's mind, and as Lelouch began to add details, Suzaku's subconscious was adding details that made were logical to Suzaku. It meant, of course, that once Lelouch began to frighten Suzaku that the subconscious would contribute details that would torture the brunette even more.

He forced his mind to take shape in the illusion, and found himself on the side of the shrine's path. The ground beneath him was surprisingly solid, and when he looked down at his body to see if it had been successful Lelouch found that he was ten years old. "I can make that work," he muttered to himself, his voice a much higher pitch than he was used to.

Lelouch wormed his way between the imagined bodies lining the path, until he had made his way through the crowd and was in the middle of the path. He could see Suzaku, dressed as Zero and slowly moving towards the Shrine's structures. He raised his fist and pointed at Suzaku.

"Him!_ He's the one that killed me!"_

Suzaku wasn't as morally pure as Nunally was. He had already been corrupted and changed by Geass, had been driven temporarily insane by it. Because of it the person Suzaku had loved was killed. It had brought up memories that he had repressed and he had been transformed by those things. He claimed to value human life still, but the amount of blood spilled by Suzaku's hands indicated that his 'value of life' wasn't as high as it had been before Geass entered their lives. Because of this, Lelouch was positive that Suzaku wouldn't be as scrupulous when using it.

The brunette had looked completely shocked with his words, and he felt a sick pleasure in that. He hadn't forgotten how Suzaku had sold him to the Emperor without so much as blinking. Regardless of the reason, Suzaku had allowed _that man_ to steal everything he valued – Nunally, the memories of Marianne (Which he really had treasured at the time), his life, the Black Knights – everything. It would be a long time before he ever forgot it, and seeing Suzaku in such pain was revenge.

And it felt good.

As Lelouch summoned Euphemia and then Genbu into the nightmare, Suzaku's eyes grew wider and wider as the brunette shrank into a child. Lelouch felt his own body grow, but he hadn't planned that; Suzaku's mind was assaulting himself now, from the guilt he had locked away. The grin Lelouch wore grew as he realized it.

It was only when Suzaku fell to the ground that he allowed the bodies holding the brunette to fade as he approached the ten-year-old. Suzaku's head was in his hands as he trembled, and he could see wet spots staining the bricks from his tears. A peculiar feeling overtook Lelouch – it wasn't quite pity or sympathy, but more akin to satisfaction as the child screamed. He had been enraged over Suzaku's betrayal to the Emperor, and nothing, _nothing_, would ever completely nullify that rage. Seeing Suzaku in such torment, however, was pleasing. It was the tiniest bit of revenge.

He stepped away from Euphie and Genbu and approached the child. As much as he wanted to continue torturing the brunette's mind, Lelouch had to accomplish the next task carefully. Even though it would ultimately appease Suzaku's mind, the discovery of what Lelouch had done would still provide pain.

Suzaku looked up at him, still sniffling. "I-I didn't mean to hurt people," He said. His voice was shaking as he tried to reason.

Though Lelouch was immensely satisfied with the pain Suzaku felt, the strength of the feeling was strong enough for Lelouch to feel it through their currently linked minds. It was likely the tiniest fraction, but it was almost overwhelming. Lelouch refused to let the emotion get to him, but did allow his features to soften as his grin disappeared. He knelt in front of the boy, feeling his clothes shift on his mental body with the pull of Suzaku's subconscious. He ruffled the ten-year-old's hair, preparing to both soothe and damn Suzaku.

It was finally time.

* * *

Lelouch held one hand out for Suzaku to pull himself up with, which the latter accepted. The instant their hands touched, Suzaku felt an electric tingle course through his body and looked at Lelouch. There was a demonic grin on his lips as he pulled his hand out of Suzaku's grasp. The former Emperor faded into the darkness that had enveloped the shrine, leaving Suzaku alone.

"No..." he whispered, knowing with a horrible certainty what the electric shock had been caused by. Lelouch had claimed that he didn't have C.C.'s Code, that the witch was still alive, there was no way he should have been able to give Suzaku – but it seemed he had.

Geass.

With a start Suzaku woke up, bolting up from the couch. His vision felt wrong, his body felt tainted...because _he_ was tainted. He heard Lelouch clear his throat and looked down to where Lelouch leaning against the coffee table, panting a little. There was no mistaking the smug, satisfied smirk on his face.

"Sleep well?" Lelouch asked, sounding almost innocent.

"You bastard." Suzaku's voice was cold and almost emotionless as he glared at Lelouch, trying to restrain the power. The last thing he wanted right now was to give the former Emperor the gratification of actually using Geass. "How could you do this?"

"Quite easily, actually."

"But I thought you needed a Code to give out Geass. You told me that you don't have C.C.'s code –"

"Do you remember when we were in the Sword of Akasha," Lelouch interrupted him, "And how my Geass fully evolved to erase the existence of my parents? My Father had a Code and tried to strangle me as he was erased. The two things required to transfer a Code were contact between an evolved Geass and a Code-bearer, coupled with the Code-bearer's death."

A look of realization mingled with the rage in Suzaku's face. "So you mean..."

Lelouch nodded. "In trying to kill me, _that man_ made it so that I will never die. I hadn't even known that I took his Code until I woke up in the Imperial Mausoleum."

Suzaku kept glaring at Lelouch as he processed everything. Lelouch was fairly calm for a person who had discovered himself immortal, especially given that he had allowed himself to die with the sins of the world and had erased the existence of his parents. But then, considering everything both he and Suzaku had done in their lives, it seemed almost...comical. They had both spilled so much blood and destroyed the lives of so many people that the thought of gaining immortality for their troubles was almost a joke. But for Lelouch to give Suzaku Geass, that was going too far. "I don't want it."

"Too bad. It can't be taken back."

Suzaku stood and opened the closet in his room, shouting through the door. "Then maybe I should die. But I can't even choose to die, because you decided that I should live on!"

His body now concealed by Zero's suit and cape, Suzaku swept past Lelouch. "I'm getting out of here. Don't follow me."

The former Emperor was silent as Suzaku covered his face with the mask and left.

* * *

**Only one review for the last chapter? That makes me a little sad. But reviews really do help me write faster, seriously. Heh heh.**

**I'm not perfectly happy with Lelouch's POV in this chapter. I find it odd in R2, how Suzaku let the Emperor basically mind-rape Lelouch (It was a highly disturbing scene, in my opinion), stealing away Lelouch's memories of Nunally and everything he loves, and, once recovered, doesn't seem as angry at Suzaku as you'd think Lelouch should be. I know Lelouch is good at playing different parts and wearing various masks, but seriously, the guy must be really good to practically forget that. **

**Lelouch, I've noticed in rewatching the show, has a habit of seemingly going off on a tangent or changing the subject when trying to tell people something, only to relate that back to the original subject. So that's why Lelouch does that a few times so far in the fic. He is seriously _always_ doing it when he really wants to ham it up. Just so people don't start wondering.**

**There were oringally two more scenes in this chapter; one with Kallen and Rivalz and one with Lloyd and Cecile. But neither, especially the one with Lloyd and Cecile, fit with the tone. So they'll instead be in the next chapter. Probably. I love Lloyd, he's such a delightful spaz. And he's so much fun with Cecile. Lloyd might be my favourite character.  
**


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